Journalism Vocabulary and News Reporting

A comprehensive collection of vocabulary and terms from ‘Taaltraining Engels 2’ regarding journalism shorthand, newspaper components, graph descriptors, and press reporting terminology.

Eye

To consider or contemplate.

Face

To be in line for; to face the prospect of; to prepare for; to be threatened with.

Fear (n)

Anxiety, concern, worry, or terror.

Fever

Excitement (however mild).

Fire (v)

To dismiss, remove, or eliminate.

Flay

To criticise.

Flip-flop

A change of heart.

Furore

Outcry, hubbub, or uproar.

Fury

Anger, or, more probably, mild annoyance.

Guru

An expert.

Hail

To welcome, recognise, or approve of.

Heist

A robbery.

Helm (v)

To run; to take over control of.

Hike

An increase or rise.

Hit (by)

To affect or have an impact on.

Hit back

To retaliate, riposte, or counterthrust.

Hit out at

To criticise.

Hold (v)

To arrest or detain.

Ink (v)

To sign or put a signature to.

Ire

Anger, or, more probably, mild annoyance.

Jibe

An accusation, criticism, or sideswipe.

Lag (n)

A convict or prisoner.

Laud

To praise; to garland with praise.

Key

Significant, important, or major.

Kill (figurative)

To cancel, overrule, countermand, or rescind.

Knock / Lash / Maul / Pan

Journalistic shorthand for: to criticise.

Loom

To impend, be imminent, or approach; typically used with negative events.

Mar

To spoil, ruin, or undermine.

Moot

To suggest, propose, or table.

Mull

To contemplate, consider, or weigh up.

OK (v)

To approve, pass, agree to, or sign off on.

Pact

A treaty, agreement, or contract.

Plea

A request.

Poll

A survey or election.

Probe

An investigation, inquiry, or review; (verb) to look into, examine, or review.

Raft

A wide range, selection, host, or plethora.

Rage

Anger, or, more probably, mild annoyance.

Rue

To regret.

Quiz (v)

To question, interrogate, or grill.

Quit

To resign, stand down, tender one’s resignation, or vacate one’s position.

Rail at

To complain of or about.

Ramp up

To increase, amplify, develop, or intensify.

Rap

To criticise.

Rift

A division.

Rig (v)

To manipulate, pre-arrange, or fix.

Roast

To criticise.

Row

Conflict or controversy.

Row back

To have a change of heart.

Sack

To dismiss, remove, or eliminate.

See

To forecast.

Seek

To request.

Seize

To arrest.

Set to

Is going to, plans to, intends to, is about to, or is preparing to.

Slam / Slash / Slag off / Slap down / Slate / Swipe

Journalistic shorthand for: to criticise.

Slash (v)

To reduce or cut down/back.

Soar

To rise or increase.

Spark (v)

To trigger, cause, or prompt.

Spat

A conflict.

Split

A division.

Tear into

To criticise.

Tick off

To admonish, rebuke, or reproach.

U-turn / Volte-face

A change of heart.

Vie

To compete or fight.

Vow (v)

To swear or promise.

Wag

A raconteur, wisecracker; or a romantic partner of a footballer.

War (figurative)

A conflict.

Woe

Misery, hurt, or, more likely, mild disappointment.

Woo

To make advances/overtures to or try to win over.

Wire service

A news agency or organization that gathers news and transmits it to individual subscribing newspapers (e.g., AP, Reuters).

Broadsheet

Full-size newspaper, averaging six columns to a page; perceived to be more intellectual.

Font

The style and size of type.

Morgue

The newspaper’s collection of clippings, photos, reference material, and microfilm.

Tabloid

A smaller format ($\frac{1}{2}$ broadsheet folded), often preferred by local or commuter papers and the sensationalist press.

Masthead

Information about the newspaper (publishing company, editorship, distribution) usually found at the top of the editorial page.

Leader

An article giving the newspaper editor’s opinion.

Agony column

Sections in a paper or magazine that deal with readers’ private emotional problems.

Obituaries

Descriptions of the lives of famous people who have just died.

Feature

An article or set of articles devoted to a particular topic.

Classified ads

Pages of advertisements in different categories.

Splash

A prominent or sensational news feature or story; the lead story.

Caption (cutline or blockline)

Explanatory text placed below or beside a graphic to describe it and identify creators.

Standfirst

An introductory paragraph in an article, printed in larger or bolder type or in capitals, which summarises the article.

Byline

A line naming the writer of an article.

Off-lead

The second most important story.

Fluctuate / Undulate

Vocabulary used to describe movements going up and down on a graph.

Level off

To remain stable, constant, or steady on a graph.

Peak

To reach the highest level on a graph.

Bottom out / Sink to a trough

To reach the lowest level on a graph.

Backstory

An account of the events leading up to what is being written about now.

Breaking news

Information being received and broadcast about an event that has just happened or just begun.

Broadcasting

The distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via electronic mass communications.

Circulation

The number of copies of a newspaper or magazine sold each day or week.

Citizen journalism

The reporting and discussion of news by members of the public using mobile technology rather than trained reporters.

Column

A regular story or feature in a periodical, often on a specific topic and written by the same person.

Copy

Written material intended for publication, as opposed to photographs.

Correspondent

A person employed by a news outlet to report on a particular subject or send reports from a foreign country.

Coverage

The reporting of a particular important event or subject.